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Sony: The PSP Go Was A Test For Future Portable Plans

We've heard nothing about a possible unveiling of the PSP2 at E3 (that rumor has lost some momentum), but Sony has clarified that the launch of the PSP Go was more of a test than anything.

Essentially, Sony says they were testing the waters for future handheld units. This according to what SCEE president and CEO Andrew House told MCV, where he said that their UMD-less PSP iteration "was introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted and we've definitely learned a lot." As most everyone knows, the PSP Go wasn't exactly a smash sales success, but House says he doesn't believe such a test is measured in terms of units sold. Rather, it was about gathering research from gamers everywhere, as a litmus test for how they would respond to a portable all-digital system. The executive went on to say:

"One of the reasons we launched PSPgo was to understand where that consumer behavior was going. We were getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted. But we need to recognise that consumers like their packaged media library."

Well, the signals were fairly clear from the majority of gamers, and it'll be interesting to see how Sony incorporates this feedback into the next PSP. The PSP2 has been pseudo-confirmed by a number of sources, although Sony certainly hasn't lifted the veil just yet. In the meantime, it's good to see that consumer reactions to the PSP Go haven't gone unnoticed, although we have to question if Sony considered the unit to be an experiment from the get-go...

Comments (73 posts)

I'm confused. They're saying that this was a test to see where consumer interests lie but in the past they stated that the PSPgo was aimed a different market. So, which is it? Or are they making excuses because they made so many poor decisions with this launch?

If they really wanted to test the market, they would have released a lot more of the back catalog via download. Provided more incentives, even. I'm not buying their excuses.

i dont believe them when they say it was a 'test'... they released the new product, expected it to sell.. and were a little shocked when it didn't. That's not a 'test' - that's an 'underachievement' (lol... psp Go isn't a failure.... just an underachiever)

but seriously... sony should step it up... they're not just competing with nintendo, apple is coming up in the game.

The psp2 can be gold, if they listen to what people want.... their consumers...

psp2 should be a phone, with a design similar to that of the pspGO1. touch screen2. 2 analogs3. better apps on it, to compete with apple (like the gps thing that's only available in japan)-smart phone capabilities4. stronger, better processor5. maybe even copy the motion sensing ability of the iphone6. better screen with a higher resolution! (we're at that point where the psp should be 'better' that ps2 at the least)7. better 'ideas' for connectivity with the ps3, laptops, etc, idk8. maybe even 3d..?

i do think that dropping umd was a good idea... but they should've implemented a voucher system or something...

in other words.... copy the competition, use the cool features that are unique to other handheld devices, but to it 'better'

Are you kidding? The iphone may have tons of games and even sells a lot of them but that doesn't mean they can stand with Sony and Nintendo. Who in their right mind would ever choose a pure touch screen to a D-pad?

Ohh no somokey if youre talking about me price is not an issue, but the fact that people want too many uneeded features on it will render it well too expensive, oh and it has to be from the best network on the planet at&t exclusively

hehehe imagine the battery life on it if youre making a call on 3g with a bluetooth headset while playing a mini bluray game online, at full 720 hd 3d while cross game chatting with a friend, while texting another, checking email, and uhhh i dont know what else...Last edited by Cesar_ser_4 on 6/8/2010 4:56:52 PM

I dont understand all this hype for a psp2. It seems most people who want it, dont actually have a psp to begin with. My money is on that it will be, and should be alittle bit longer before we get it.

It's a great system with plenty more life in it. I'm constantly surprised at what it is capable of, Sony needs to stop experimenting, roll up their sleeves and get back on track with this great little system, by giving it even more features via firmware, making what we already have even better and produce some great games, offering incentive to 3rd party developers aswell. Grow the connectivity between the ps3 even more aswell.

I'll never understand people saying there's no games either available, the psp is seeing a boom in great games right now, with more ahead, it doesnt seem to be letting up. if not many of them are for u that's cool and all, but ur not the only person on the planet.

It was a mistake, plain and simple, A good lesson they learned, now they know that people want a drive and true ownership of the games they buy. not some consumer unfriendly digital download that they cannot back up or give away/sell.Last edited by realmadpuppy on 6/8/2010 1:14:25 PM

you can back them up realmadpuppy. on your computer or ps3. even though i dont have a go i still prefer downloads, for travelling and load times. I never trade in games anyway so that's a mute point for me.

I personally would prefer to see a PSP2 announced next year. That would allow for people to get over the glut of games for the system that are supposed to be coming out this year.

As far as what it needs, I'd love to see a slide out control pad, Two analogue sticks, and the retainment of physical media but not in an optical disc format. I'd prefer the games to be released on maybe Memory Sticks or something of that ilk as then the developers would have a LOT more room to work with. A touch-screen wouldn't be a terrible idea either, but only if it was properly integrated and didn't rely on it.

Also, apparently Nintendo reckons that the 3DS processor is more powerful than the PS3 and 360. If that's true, then that will be a beast, and Sony need to top that somehow. Dare I say, Cell BE?
Peace.

I think that's nintendo talking shite. since when have nintendo been pioneers in actual technology. they make great games dont get me wrong, but a processor more powerful than either mainstay consoles right now?

Hey, I didn't say I believed them, merely that that was what Nintendo were touting. But I suppose it might make sense in one way. I mean, the Wii has nailed the casual crowd, so why not try reintroducing the hardcore to their side with a handheld? It'd be an interesting approach to be sure.
Peace.

Yeah, but can one even consider the possibility of something like a DS, compare to even a ps2, let alone a ps3 or 360? I am dead-sure Nintendo would never suggest such a thing. What you might've heard is that the 3d capabilities of the 3ds are more "advanced" than what is available on the 360 or the ps3, because it won't involve glasses/goggles.

Although i love my PSPGO, It kind of upsets me how games release later on the network. I wanted to get Peacewalker this morning but they haven't updated the Network yet. They never have any type of preorder incentive. And they always charge up the @$$ for their new games.
Again, I love my PSPGo. Its a very cool piece of hardware and it performs EXTREMELY well. I love the size and the portability. But it totally blows that you can only get games off of the network. Reminds me of the Sony MiniDisk and the stupid DRM'd program that went with it. I don't know if anyone remembers them, but it was just a nightmare to get anything that was recorded with it on any device other than a MiniDisk Player. It was really retarded.

In one of my editorials (I believe it was about the PSP2) I specifically stated the exact same thing Sony just said. The product simply wasn't promoted well enough for Sony to be genuinely serious about it. They barely even sent out any test units for us critics - always a sign of bad things.

I actually saw someone on the subway last week with one...the first time ever, in fact, I've seen someone in public with a PSP Go.

ARNOLD! You're still alive! Where's the Modnation review then?
Sorry for the rudeness, on-topic now. I wholeheartedly agree that Sony really wasn't behind the PSP Go in the way they seemed to be when talking about it. I mean, I've only ever seen one thing even close to being an advert for the device, and that was in K-Mart, something about 'Now closer to you' or well, I don't rightly remember.
And, I've only ever seen seven people with PSP's in public, and no Go's so, it really defeats the purpose dunnit?
Peace.

They lied about releasing the back catalog of UMD games. I recall in their press conference they stated all UMD games would eventually be available for download off PSN. Even some new UMD releases are not making to the PSN for PSP Go owners.

I think that's reason enough, at least for me it was.Last edited by Nynja on 6/8/2010 2:51:47 PM

Dang we must have all missed the part when they told they would suddenly stop updating for the psp go. I mean they still keep bringing stuff out for it, old and new games. Sure you may have to wait for it but it takes a bit of time.

I agree on the point of the voucher included in the UMD case. That would be brilliant, but it would make far too much sense for even Sony. Then again, do that and they give you two games for the price of one, but still, you could resell it, or just pass it to a friend and they would lose a potential purchase. Hmm, it's a two-sided argument.
I have no intention of buying any digital-exclusive console, so either way it's a moot point for me.
Peace.

Thats the way i feel kind of Nynja. Even if it was a test. They should still support it. After asking $250 for it. I mean it is a pretty awesome unit. I'm cool if it was a test and i've already given feedback. But them not supporting it like their tried and true versions because it was a test is ridiculous. I might just sell mine with the 5 games it has on it and get the MGS Bundle. I can always go get a bigger Memory card i guess and redownload the games i have.

Just so you know, I did not get any extra money from GameStop for selling my unit with 20+ games included. Make sure you sell it to a private party. Actually I'm not sure if GameStop is even excepting them anymore.

What really burns me is that I paid Sony $250 to beta test something for them. If you include all the games and accessories I purchased for it, that's easily over $800.

i got a psp go (deeply discounted on ebay, mind you) because i already have a ton of digital games, and my psp-1000 just died a week ago, after many many years of faithful service. me and my brother both have PSPs and we both play the same things, so buying the game digitally and putting it on both devices was cheaper than buying two discs.

I literally dont have a physical psp library to speak of, and i, plus another 100 people, were probably the only people who looked at that and said "thats my machine" right off the bat.Last edited by LightShow on 6/8/2010 2:12:59 PM

Lots of Sony hate in this thread, and I don't know why. So the PSP GO was a test? Well, that's not exactly news. I know Arnold said as much when the thing launched. So did many posters here as well as commentators elsewhere. I just don't understand the outrage being expressed here.

As for complaining that this somehow invalidates the purchase of a PSP GO...What rubbish! It does nothing of the sort. For a start, PSP games are available as download or physical purchase. The PSP GO gave Sony a reason to push digital delivery for the PSP.

The fact that the price wad high always meant that the PSP GO was for the early adopters and gadget freaks. I don't see how you can complain about what Sony has done with the PSP. We've all benefited from the test.

For some, the PSP Go is fine as is. For others, such as myself, who are interested in some of the PSP's best UMD titles (i.e.: FF series) the PSP Go is -NOT- for them.

I had every FF UMD game available on PSP. Believing SCEA's claim of bringing all UMD games to PSN for PSP Go users, I ditched the old model and bought the Go. 6 months later, the PSN still has less than 25% of all PSP games. It's now 8 months since release and new UMD games are still missing from PSN.

That alone was enough for me to get rid of the PSP Go and to develop such distaste with SCEA's lack of support for the device.Last edited by Nynja on 6/8/2010 2:58:58 PM

oh wait, i read that again and i got what you said, one with and without a touch screen.

unfortunately, apple now doesnt care really about their original ipod. innovation has stalled on it and all their creative energy is going to their touchscreen devices. i forsee an identical situation if the PSP was to go touchscreen.

LOL. I don't know what that was, but imma go ahead and call it a fail. Again though, my PSP IS my MP3 player, and my phone is my phone. Apple can stick their iProducts up their bunghole. At least until they release an iQuit. I might buy that.
Peace.

If so that was a pretty expensive test, and one that if done improperly could've costed Sony a bit of profit. Other than my physical library of games I still have a positive view on digital media, but I found the Go to be quite ugly as a console. In the end for me, I didn't get one because it was ugly, expensive, and didn't use UMDs (because above all else I like my library of games).

WHAT!!!does anyone really believe this?Want to know how to sell some SKUs SONY? LISTEN TO US!!! any forum will have hundreds of ppl talking about what we want! and its free!!! look at Evil tele!!! he made a list! a list!!! THEY PAY THOUSANDS FOR RESEARCH COMPANIES TO TELL US WHAT WE WANT THEN WHEN WE DON'T BUY IT, THOUSANDS FOR PR TO TELL US LIES! just put one of us here in a consultant position and we will make what the consumers want! ----well there is my rant for the day:)

I'm so stoked for the PSP-II. Not too sure about this marketing strategy from Sony. I have mixed feelings about digital distribution. I cherish my physical game collection and all, but on the other hand who gives a F%#& about what form your games come in.

If the PSP went all digital and the mother console stayed physical I'd be ok with that.

I already knew this. I heard it from some where eles a while back.
PSP2 most have No full touch screen it's ok but I don't want to be taping the screen the entire time like the dS. I do not own a dS for a reason.
The PSP doesn't need to be a phone too yea I quese that would be cool but this is a potable game divice and it most have two analog sticks.
3D what?!?!?!
Some of you are asking for to many features and then cry because it cost to much. you are the people to blame for not having BC on our PS3. Thanks. now there are people who are willing to pay sony out of the nose for it.

I'm sorry to say I don't buy in what Sony is saying in the slightest. Like any corporation they thought they could simply "repackage" aging technology into a new case without any significant hardware upgrades, and titillate with the idea that people do not want to have "physical media" anymore... which of course, has turned out to be in-correct. The PSPGo was large sum of cash to extract from people so they can "test" a Sony product. Sony should have given 1000 away in a competition and then got feedback, not try to dupe gamers into buying into something that is going to be replaced... Without a second nub and a laughable price point, it is good that it has failed to some degree. It does teach Sony not to simply do second best products, but to make the best products in the industry. If they do they will be rewarded...

The reality is Apple... (and I have always been saying this... just ask Highlander) gaining a lot of ground and will surpass Sony in the future when it comes to compelling handheld gaming devices... they see that the future of gaming, for the most part, is mobile... Mobile devices will get much more powerful going forward, and games will look more and more spectacular on them... and Apple will lead the charge...

Sony better come out with a compelling PSP2 design, with a state of the art processor and graphics package otherwise I am saving my money for the 2nd generation of iPad and the new iPhone.

At the moment nothing compels me to get a PSP until I see a big hardware upgrade and a more "open" system architecture...

Feel sorry for the people who have been "duped" by the PSPGo train, they will no doubt suffer when the PSP2 is announced and everyone starts to sell of or mothball their PSP1's.

Personally, I was surprised they launched that system so late in it's lifecycle and at a massively higher price. In the past, Playstation products would re-launch as a slimmer, lower-cost, update-PsOne, PS2slim. THe PSPgo may have been slimmer with internal memory storage but at a significantly higher cost than their other current PSP-3000 model. Sony has always stated that Playstation owners recognize good value in their line of products, like the PS3. But clearly, the PSPgo didn't appear to be as good of value as a PSP-3000. So the release of the PSPgo was something of an anomaly to me.

All of this really has me curious about the marketing angle Sony will take with the PSP2. It would seem handhelds tend to be far more profitable at a lower cost with cheaply created and distributed software. While I, personally, don't have much interest for the majority of cheap, mind teasing games, it would seem only logical for Sony to tap into that market more aggressively to stay viable.

And while that new MGS:PW looks awesome, I can't help but wonder if Hideo's talents would've been more appreciated by creating the game as a full-fledged PS3 title.

The Go was released at such a high price point in order to appease the retailer as they would have made ZERO profit on games, obviously. Aside from that, it was a great F-U to the consumer, though I'm sure they were trying to sell it. How would it sell if there were no stockists?

It would be folly for Sony to turn towards the apps market as the vast majority of titles for the PSP2. I say this because Sony has built themselves upon a foundation of the hardcore market, even if they have tried to branch out to the casuals, with varying degrees of success. To switch to the App market, which is undeniably cornered by Apple would split the user base in a big way and begin to crumble the foundations. Once that happens, the fall is inevitable, no matter how strongly the fortress is built.

On Peace Walker, sure it may have been better were the Kojimaster to develop it on the PS3, but you can't deny that it will still be Hideous (like it?). Besides, you can't fault the guy for his dedication to the Sony brand as a PSP iteration was the only way to keep it exclusive with Konami's insistence and M$'s money.
Peace.

Lawless,That may be the case with PSPgo's higher price. The inflated profit margin would placate retailers in having to give up shelf space (albeit what appears to have been a very small amount) for a product that wouldn't promise big returns on software sales.

Regardless, I can't help but think if it should've been marketed that way to begin with. Maybe Sony would've had better luck with a lower cost while allowing some retail chains, like Gamestop, to drop the product in favor of a more aggressive online ordering service, and also, Walmarts and Targets etc. Apple gets away with selling iPods without a massive increase to profit margin through this approach.

And concerning software marketing. I agree that Sony has a segment of more dedicated gamer on the PSP in comparison to something like an iPod/iPad & cell phones. Games like God of War and Metal Gear Solid: PW suggest that. I just wonder if only a handful of really high quality titles that sell around 2-3 million per release is enough to sustain a product line. And moreover, if a segment of PSP owners who do eat up to the lesser quality content are getting syphoned off to other handheld devices can't help the situation either.

I am grateful to have any dedicated effort by Hideo to offer us a Metal Gear. I would still rather have something as large in scope, like PW, to be on PS3. And that's just speaking for my own interests.

excuses, excuses, excuses!sony really stuffed up with this, and there only shooting themselves in the foot with it.you would think downloadable games would be cheaper no?WRONG!assassins creed bloodlines from EB, game, JB HIFI $50.off the PSN? $60!little big planet PSP from EB, game, JBHIFI $50off the PSN? $68!army of two the 40th day from EB, game, JBHIFI $40PSN? $46!and if thats not shooting yourself in the foot enough they always take a few weeks to get new releases onto the PSN.o, and that 5 game rebate we were suppose to get? STILL WAITING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so let me get this stright.im paying MORE for the system, MORE for the games AND i have to use up my download usage to get the games?WTF?since when do you have to pay more, for less?soon will be paying 1000 dollars for the games, and 50 bucks for the systems!!!!!!!

No name, rein in that flip out. In terms of the physical media vs digital. Retailers set the price of physical media, which means if it is not selling, or they do not expect it to sell, they drop the price. Developers and Sony set the price of digital, wwhich means whatever they want for it, is what they will get for it, regardless of what it is selling for in stores.

Shooting yourself in the foot? Try putting that aforementioned foot down your throat. For goodness sake, if you can't wait for a game for a few weeks, then mate, go to America, they usually get them first. What five game rebate is that I must ask?

Anyway, it was your choice to purchase the system at the price point that was being asked, knowing full well of the price of the games (those being advertised even before release), and of course your download usage. How else would you expect to get the games you want? As for your last comment, I am not going to lower myself by commenting on the stupidity I feel flows from your fingertips at writing that.

Really, I don't go off very often, but you just annoy me. I'm sorry for any insults, but honestly, someone had to say it.
Peace.

yes so thats the solution?they release a platform and screw over everyone that buys it than wonder why its selling like sh*t.hmmm, i wonder why i got fired after banging my bosses wife, than destroying his car.

Sony were idiots with the psp and with a different creator the psp would have been a major success, considering it has sold 60 million units against the gatekeeper of the handheld market for the last ten years at least i'd say the psp did pretty damn good and was also a year late to the scene as well.

and peace walker was due to cost of development and potential market. roughly 34 million ps3's or 60 million psp's and hugely minimized cost of production makes the psp a better choice.

and I don't think this was a test as if sony were going to release a test project I think they still would've wanted to make some money out of it, and release an official ripping software and both parties would be happy and no consumers complaining - hard copies with the option of faster loading times and longer batt life, but of course, this is sony or as I like to call them, ass backwards

Seriously, after the garbage i've dealt with with Sony saying "Dump Linux, or GTFO", I'll never trust a Sony "License" to anything I don't have a physical hard copy of. I want my UMD games. I want to have a physical object that Sony CAN'T take from me.

That said, a future iteration of the PSP could be a BEAUTIFUL machine. Dual analog, a modern >250-300 DPI lenticular or parallax based autostereoscopic high resolution LCD with multitouch, A modern mobile processor, UMD backwards compatibility, and a Blu-Ray iteration of the UMD format. If current UMD is 1.5GB to DVD's 8.5, then equipping UMD with a Blu-Ray laser, a Blu-Ray UMD would be about 8GB to a full size Blu-Ray's 50GB. This would allow full PS2 and Xbox 360 sized media content on the device...

Imagine 8 GB downloads...

Some people might not sweat it, but there are still, and will still be many people with slower connections than modern multi-megabit broadband. Are you OK with painfully long downloads, massive amounts of expensive flash storage, just to hold a couple games, vs cheap, easily pressed BD-UMDs, all the BD-UMDs you can carry. The other option is limiting game data size to preserve fast downloads and make room for a multitude of games.

I'm not ready to give up physical media. It still has advantages. What's it feel like waiting to download a full 1.5 GB DL version of a large PSP game of the PSN. It's still slow. How many of those large games can you fit on your 16GB flash, or your 2, 4, 8, or 16GB Memory Stick?

And one more thing... I DON'T want it to be a cell phone. This should be a game console first, and still be affordable. Let people buy cell phones if they want to make calls. Don't force this thing into another unreasonable price tier, or turn it into a by subscriber contract device.

Last thing supporting the UMD... What happens when you spent $250 for a system, and $500 for 10 games. If those games are UMD, you have the option of reselling them, if you choose to do so. Say you sell when depreciation reaches 2/3 the original value. Selling the system and UMD games nets you about $255. If the games are DLC, then you can't transfer the games without giving up your PSN and violating Sony EUL. DLC can not be resold. The system, at the same depreciation would only net you about $85, and the games are a loss, a $170 loss (using the 2/3 depreciation as an example).

I like to own what I buy. While the logistics of game ownership is debatable by game companies and their arcane license agreements, at least, a PHYSICAL disc can be owned. I have no intention of buying the next PSP, if it's digital only. I will abandon the PSP product line. The next PSP MUST have some form of UMD for me to consider buying it. It must also be backwards compatible.